Lay DNA Project Website
- Results

*The Blue Group and the Green Group are NOT genetically related. Researchers are cautioned to remember: 1. There are TWO Bird Lay's living about the same age during the same time frame. In 1810 there is Bird Lay of Warren Co., KY with one male child and Bird Lay of Caswell Co., NC with no children! 2. There are THREE Jesse Lay's in 1790 North Carolina - Jesse, Sr. & Jesse, Jr. in Wilkes Co. AND Jesse, son of John, in Caswell Co. 3. There are THREE David Lay's living in the late 1700's. David, Sr. of Pittsylvania Co., VA - his son David, Jr. of Caswell Co., NC AND David [son of Jesse, Sr.] in Wilkes Co., NC 4. There are TWO John Lay's living in the late 1700's. John Lay of Pittsylvania Co., VA who died c. 1795 AND John Lay of Caswell Co., NC who died c. 1790.*There are FOUR distinct Y-DNA Lay lineages with variant spellings that are recorded in Colonial Pennsylvania. Previous paper trails that have merged these lines need to be examined carefully.represents Lay's who are widely dispersed throughout the southeast United States by the early 1800's. The earliest paper trail among the kits appears to be David Lay, Sr. who is recorded in 1750, Granville Co., NC on the Country Line Cr. tax district. The genetic distance between kit #49517 and the descendents of Rev. William L Lay indicate the common ancestor for the entire group is pre-colonial America. This group of Lay's also match closely with a Brooks lineage. Do these Lays descend from a Brooks ancestor or is it the other way around? More testing is needed.represents a descendent of a large cluster of Lays in the Netheravon/Enford area of Wiltshire, England. This Lay DNA does not match the Pewsey, Wiltshire, England Lay branch represents a descendent of a presumed daughter of William and Ann Lay from Stood, Kent, England

COASTAL CAROLINAS

represents descendents of a branch of Lay's from Brunswick Co., NC, - John & Joseph Lay who migrated to GA and AL in the early to mid-1800's. The DNA results indicate a high probability of Irish ethnicity. They share Y matches that are predominately Irish/Scots-Irish which agrees with the known Scot-Irish migration to the Cape Fear River basin of southeastern, coastal North Carolina. represent a descendent from the Lyme, Connecticut Lay's. The Connecticut Lay's are NOT genetically related to any colonial southern Lay line. Research published on the web indicates these Lay's are recorded in Braintree Parish, England prior to their arrival in Colonial America. The project needs another tester from this Lay line to verify the results. FTDNA has predicted this Lay lineage to be haplogroup R1b1.represents a group of Lay's whose ancestors have a geographically centered paper trail in the Piedmont and Western area of NC. DNA testing has revealed that this Lay group probably originated with the spelling of Lee in England. This Lay branch share a close match to Lusk cluster whose oldest known ancestor is from Tazewell Co., VA. This Lay family group belongs to Haplogroup R1a which is a minority haplogroup in the British Isles and is most often found in the northern counties of England bordering Scotland.represents the descendents of Isaac Lay of Burke Co., NC. Two descendent from son, James Newton, and a descendent from son, Benjamin, have tested. There are conflicting results. Isaac also had sons William and Lawrence. Lawrence carried the surname of Agee in adulthood. We need participants from those brothers. This subgroup is not genetically related to the Wilkes Co., NC Lay's.represents both a Pennsylvania descendents of Felix Lee who arrived in Philadelphia, PA in 1743 and a descendent of John Lay of Perry Co., PA. Further research indicates that Felix descended from Henrich Lee b. 1575 Glattfelden, Switzerland. DNA tests reveal the Leh lineage shares ancestry with the Perry Co., PA Lay's and a Lee branch.represents the U.S. descendents of Abraham Lay born in Essex, England who moved to Fairfax Co., VA in colonial times. FTDNA has predicted this Lay lineage to be Haplogroup I.represents a descendent of John Lay b. 1879 in Pulaski Co., KY. Present day descendents spell their last name Leigh. This subgroup does not match other Lay's from Pulaski Co., KY.represent descendents of a large cluster of Lay's in the Pewsey area of Wiltshire, England. Two branches have participated - one from Australia and one still living in the Wiltshire area. DNA has proven a common ancestor. represents the Ley's. Descendents of Christopher Lee, son of Casper Lay, died 1798, Franklin Co., PA and descendents of Johann Jacob Lay, born 1715 of Wuertemberg whose descendents immigrated to Owen Co. IN are a match in this group. The haplogroup is confirmed by FTDNA as R1b. This haplotype has a rare null at marker 389II.